By James PersaudJuly 25th, 2008
Canal, a little village on the west bank of the Demerara River, is
said that the people like it so much that they name it twice #1 and
#2. Rishi Baldeo had sponsored a softball cricket team called Beach
Boys for many years; this year earlier in the softball season the
team folded (broke up). Rishi wanted to stay in cricket and he came
up with the idea of making a Canal team, the village he came from
in Guyana. The team is made up of players mostly from the Canal area.

The Canal team is playing in the New York Softball Cricket League
second division and so far the team has played undefeated in the 30
Over Cup competitions after 4 games. In the first game of their season
Canal take on Waves, Waves batted first making 136 and Canal reply
with 138 for 5. In the second game the contest was even easier against
Sheffield 55 all out and Canal 56 for 1 in 5 overs and the third game
was against Volcano. Canal batted first and made 185 all out and Volcano
yield for a mere 57 all out.

Last Sunday perhaps the toughest challenge so for Canal was against
the J P Singh led Wildfire. Both teams looked equally matched if not
in talent but certainly in name, both teams has many players with
the Singh last name.

Wildfire won the toss and felt that the wicket was more suited for
batting and thinking that they stand a better chance batting second.
Canal started their innings with R. Deodat and D. Singh, Deodat sent
the first ball from Vinod over the mid off boundary for a six. The
second ball after hesitating for a quick single he was gone run out,
Anand Singh joined Danny who was in a punishing mood and knock Vinod
for another 11 runs in the over. Wildfire struck twice in the fourth
over removing Anand (17) and P. Harriprashad without scoring. By the
15 over the Wildfire bowlers had done a fair job of sending back 6
batsmen J. Prashad (0), D. Singh (26), R. Dukhi (7) and J. Persaud
(8) but the damage was done as the scoreboard read 105 for 6.

After the break, play was resumed and the last 4 wickets added another
48 runs for Canal, M. Harriraj (25), R. Baldeo (14), R. Ramchatar
(6) and M. Harriprashad (1) for a total of 153 all out.

Wildfire time at the crease was no easy task for the batsman as there
was a steady flow from the stand as R. Baldeo (2-35) and J. Prashad
(3-7) kept the pressure on and later P. Harriprashad (5-6) came on
and finished off the tail enders. Wildfire never got settled against
the bowlers and exceptional good fielding by the Canal players. By
the 15 over the last pair was at the crease and play continued without
stopping, Wildfire innings came to an end in the 16th over for a misery
78 all out. The Wildfire’s batsmen went in this order L. Singh
(0), V. Singh (4), C. Singh (10), K. Sookhoo (5), R. Narine(9), Patrick
(0), M. Narine(2), A. Singh (0) and Border (0), the only batsman to
offer any resistant in the end were P. Tulsi (19) and Sanjay (5).
Tulsi was showing fine form at the crease but got little help from
the other batsman as he tried to fend off the bowler and kept most
of the strike as if just to keep the innings going, he was severe
on Baldeo knocking 16 runs off him in his last over.

In Canal third game against Volcano, another prominent son of the
Canal area, businessman Mr. James Manbahal, who is mostly in hardball
cricket, dropped by and spoke to the team after the game ended. He
said that he heard about the team and that he was proud that the guys
were able to put such a good team together. He also said that he is
always willing to help and asked that the team carry and make the
Canal name proud.